Blood Is Thicker Than Water
by xXKiri-chanXx
Summary: Mizu feels trapped among "the good and the great" of the Fire Nation, and as much as she hates her father, he is her only family. So when an opportunity to travel with friends old and new arises, will she stand by her father or escape into an adventure that would change the world?


Mizu sighed as she glanced absently around the crowded room from behind the privacy of her hand fan. Fire Nation balls and celebrations had become such a bore to her in the recent years. When she was younger, she used to love getting dressed up to see the Fire Nation's royalty at these events. She remembered one such party where she and Zuko had pranked Azula successfully and escaped punishment- from their parents at least. Azula had her own way of punishing her friends and family with unsuspicious "good intentions." Like the time Azula brought Mizu some tea, knowing she was parched, and had dumped salt into the beverage until it tasted like the sea. Mizu shuddered at the memory of the foul taste. But Zuko had abandoned her to deal with these functions alone and at the mercy of potential suitors. Not that he'd wanted to go. Mizu frowned as she thought back to a couple years ago when the Prince was banished after backing down in an Agni Kai, against his own father no less! They had corresponded with each other for a while, though the messenger hawks from Zuko appeared less often as Zuko was nearly completing his third year of exile and his impossible mission.

Two potential suitors seemed to have spotted her hiding out in the corner and Mizu grimaced, quickly thinking of an escape route. She cursed her dress for being more gold and orange-toned rather than the popular red that would blend her in more easily. Her narrow frame with few curves was easily spotted, especially when her topknot hairstyle added an inch or so to her height. The suitors hadn't noticed she'd seen them so she casually turned and found herself face to face with her own father.

"Daddy, I didn't even see you there," she spoke careful to not be too loud nor too unenthusiastic. Her father had made it quite clear that tonight was the most important night of his life and if she did anything to cause him to not be promoted, then she might be joining Zuko in exile.

She was starting to think that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Mizu, dear. I hope you realize that tonight isn't just about me," her father began.

Mizu's eyebrows shot upward before she calmed her face. Hold on a second. Her father? Captain Zhao, who so desperately revolved his life around his career path to become admiral, was saying this night wasn't only about his job? Something was up and if Mizu knew her father, then he was plotting.

"You see, darling, we must start looking for potential suitors. You're at the age now where many of these fine young men should be tripping over each other to court you," Zhao explained as he escorted his daughter through the crowd.

Mizu sighed. Of course. The higher up Mizu could marry, the higher up of a position Zhao could gain if kept in good favor of the Fire Lord.

"They've been tripping all night, Daddy, but not over me. Besides, to you a 'fine young man' is preferably one with a connection to a title and to me it's something else entirely," Mizu inwardly winced at those last words. Daddy hated when she accused him of using her to further his career, whether he was guilty of it or not.

Zhao frowned and gave Mizu a cold glare that chilled her to the bone. She now knew to never say those kinds of words in the Fire Lord's courts again. Who knew a Firebender could be so cold, Mizu thought as she tried to backpedal and salvage the conversation.

"Oh look, Daddy, it's Mai. You remember her uncle don't you? He's the warden at Boiling Rock. Perhaps if I wander around with her and Princess Azula, I won't be so embarrassed by the suitors?" Mizu held her breath once she finished, hoping for some kind of approval of her upper class friends.

Zhao nodded and dismissed her, though Mizu felt his cold stare long after she joined Mai. The two girls had met each other along with Ty Lee and Azula at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls and they got along much better with each other than with the aura-glowing-always-happy Ty Lee or Ice Princess Azula. Mizu thought it ironic that the prodigy princess of the Fire Nation had so many amazing Firebending skills and yet her heart was colder than ice.

Mai and Mizu were both extremely close to Zuko and both had lost a little more than a sparkle in their eye when he was banished. Mai was crushed as she had genuinely liked him and Mizu missed his good company as a close friend.

After narrowly missing an encounter with Chan, Admiral Chan's obnoxious son, Mizu and Mai bumped into Ruan-Jian, whose father insisted that Ruan-Jian escort Mizu to a Fire Nation event later in the month. Mizu kindly accepted, knowing that it would have to satisfy her father for the time being. He kept laying hints that Chan would be the wisest decision as son of an admiral, but for her own sanity's sake, Mizu refused to follow through.

Thankfully, the event dwindled down enough where Zhao saw fit to escort his daughter home. As they rode home in the carriage, she spoke of the night's events. He was satisfied that Ruon-Jian would be escorting her to the next event, but when few other names were mentioned, Zhao sighed loudly. "I just wish you would put more effort into this sort of thing, Mizu," he chided. "I know without your mother, it's difficult," he stopped as if mentioning his deceased wife would bring Mizu to her senses. She frowned and flashed her golden eyes at her father.

"Yes, because mother would have _adored_ the company of so many-" Zhao's fist slammed into the wall of the carriage and the driver pulled the dragon moose to an abrupt halt.

Mizu froze and looked down at her hands folded in her lap and she counted down until the explosion. She chanced a glance up at her father and was not surprised to see fury etched in every hard line of his face. Zhao leaned across the carriage until Mizu had to look up to see his face (oh how he hated when she hid her face from him when he was in these moods!).

"You may think that you are too good for the Fire Nation's upper class, but my dear daughter, until you have proven yourself useful, you are as good to me as that banished prince," Zhao spoke calmly, picking each word as a blow to his daughter's self-esteem. Mizu unwillingly flinched, as if his words had slapped her across the face. Zhao leaned back, satisfied with her fearful reaction, and pounded the ceiling of the carriage twice to urge the driver on. Mizu kept her eyes downcast, just as she had seen her mother do so long ago after such a verbal beating. Zhao was too lost in his own world of strategizing, both socially and professionally, to notice his daughter clench her fists as she vowed to never let such a thing happen to her again.


End file.
